Reading does not come naturally for me. Through years of discipline, I manage to read about a book per week. That would not happen if I didn’t apply myself. It is a habit that sticks only with daily effort.

On the other hand, my urge to write is strong. Emails more than letters these days, letters to the editor, a few personal note cards, personal journaling, and the 500 or so words per day on this blog come naturally. Bigger projects take more effort, but once I get in the writing groove, things go quickly. While it took some effort, I was able to finish my first memoirs at a rapid pace because I enjoyed the process. Both reading and writing are necessary in my life and in the modern world.

I have a lot to say on both topics, yet let me start with reading. Why do people read in 2026?

For me, it is sifting through an endless sea of words, seeking to hit the paydirt of meaning. I am willing to work toward a long payoff, invest time and energy into understanding a difficult book or subject. Yet once meaning is revealed, it is catalogued, filed, and on to the next nugget. The underlying reason is I hope to do something more than smelt these nuggets into literary gold bars to be stored away. I will fashion them into something that enhances our lives.

I suspect most people are not so, having more direct reasons for reading. Things like learning about and understanding our world, getting lost in stories to avoid the harshness of our lives, for a sense of belonging with people or cultures, or maybe things as simple as solving a mystery.

Writing is another story. If there is a connection between an author and reader, it is because of what they have in common. For example, in the late 1950s when I went to YMCA camp, I felt a need to write home, and still have one of those letters. After all, I would be away for an entire week! Part of this was a convention I absorbed in early education, and part was dealing with the loneliness of being away from family. Whatever that impulse was, it stuck with me until I have literally written millions of words.

When considering how I am perceived in modern society, what comes up most often in in-person conversations is people read my letters to the editors of newspaper. It is gratifying that people know who I am from that writing, and are paying attention to what I say. One successful letter generates another.

There is an inherent hope that people will read me in whatever medium I choose. While I don’t have a large following, I have one, and knowing that makes me want to continue.

Life would be more difficult if I couldn’t read or write any longer. These skills represent a connection to a broader society, one in which I have invested my whole life. I am thankful I still have the modest skills needed to continue.